by Julie Cannon
She hoped she’d get there before anyone else and have a moment alone with Mr. Witlin, but she arrived to a line forming outside his door. Accountants were waiting to speak with him, and Stephanie was willing to bet it was about senior positions in the Chicago office, even though she had missed the formal announcements. Stephanie didn’t give a shit about Chicago, not anymore. Stephanie practically elbowed past everyone and came to a standstill before Mr. Witlin.
“Good morning, Stephanie,” he said cheerily. “I hope you’re feeling better today—”
“Why Luca?”
Mr. Witlin’s face fell into confusion. “Excuse me?”
Stephanie decided to slow down and try again. “Why Luca?” He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if still trying to see the meaning within her words. “Why would you choose to send Luca Garner to Chicago?”
“Wait a second,” a younger gentleman interjected from just outside the office. “You chose an assistant over me?”
Mr. Witlin closed the door and turned back to Stephanie, who was at his toes. “I expect you to explain yourself.”
“I expect you to warn me before you transfer my assistant.” Stephanie felt herself getting heated and knew she should take a breath and calm down, but too many emotions were clashing within her. She couldn’t contain them all.
Mr. Witlin’s jaw tensed firmly enough to be visible beneath his beard. “Do not forget your place, Ms. Austin. While I appreciate your ferocity at work, I think it would be in your best interest to take a step back immediately.”
Stephanie did just that. She put a little distance between her and her boss and tried her best to tamp down her anger. She gritted her teeth and tried again. “Why did you choose Luca to transfer without talking to me first?”
“I didn’t think I had to.” He straightened the perfect knot of his tie and smoothed his crisp collar. “I was giving you what you wanted. Honestly, I expected a thank-you this morning. It worked out perfectly that things wrapped up in Chicago and we’re ready to go live. Ms. Garner showed incredible potential and was recommended by Catherine Carter—seemed like a no-brainer to me. The transfer got her off your back, but she’d still be employed by a prestigious firm. Apparently Ms. Garner didn’t care much for the idea. And if this is displaced anger over not being named to my Chicago roster, your behavior regarding Ms. Garner spoke volumes of you as a person and an employee.”
Stephanie rubbed small, firm circles on her temples. Stephanie was no longer focused on her own reputation. “I need you to give me permission to hire her back.”
“First you needed me to get rid of her for you, and now you need me to allow you to get her back? I sure hope you have more to say than that.”
“She’s an asset to this company. I realize now that I should’ve said that earlier. I had multiple opportunities during our meetings and every run-in we had in the hallways. That’s my fault, all of this is my fault. Luca shouldn’t be without a job because I’m an asshole.” Stephanie tugged at the cuffs of her shirt and stood tall. “If you do not allow me to bring Luca back onto our team, you can consider this my resignation.”
“You’re going to quit over an assistant?” Mr. Witlin gawked at her.
“No, I wouldn’t be quitting because of Luca, I’d be quitting because I’ve dedicated years of my life to this firm and have proven time and time again that I’m a trustworthy asset. If you tell me I can’t hire her back, then you’re telling me you don’t trust me when I say having her will allow us to continue being the best firm on the East Coast, and eventually one of the best in the country.” Stephanie felt light-headed by the time she finished her tirade, the reality of her ultimatum kick-started her heart rate. She tried her best to keep her breathing even and her eyes unblinking as she stared down her boss, but all she wanted to do was put her head between her knees to keep from passing out.
“I suppose this is when I tell you whether your next phone call will be to Luca or to unemployment?” Stephanie nodded. Mr. Witlin smiled softly. “Do tell Ms. Garner that I’m happy to have her back.”
“Happy will be an understatement after you look at this.” Stephanie slid the green folder toward him on the table. “We had to keep this case under wraps for a bit while we collected enough evidence. Luca found this, and all I did was give her one crumb to follow.” Stephanie knew she was beaming with pride.
Mr. Witlin took the folder from Stephanie and tucked it under his arm. “For the record, I didn’t want to let Luca go.”
“Furthermore for the record, I was a terrible person for strong-arming you into that decision.” Stephanie turned for the door, but was called back.
“May I ask you something that borders on personal?”
Stephanie tilted her head. “Of course.”
“Should I assign Luca to work with a different senior accountant?”
Stephanie knew he was keenly observant, but that didn’t soften the shock she felt. “If you’re worried about conflict of interest, Gerard, I assure you I’ll come to you at the first sign of an issue. But for now, I believe we’re both professionals and you won’t have a problem.” Stephanie didn’t need to say the implied aloud. She saw the glint in Mr. Witlin’s eye that told her he already figured out more than she’d ever share willingly. “Let me know when you finish going through that.” Stephanie pointed to the folder. “You’re going to want to assemble a team, and Luca and I will be heading it.” Mr. Witlin nodded and Stephanie made her way back to the office.
She had two meetings scheduled for the afternoon and knew she couldn’t have this conversation with Luca over the phone. Her intentions being misinterpreted was the last thing Stephanie wanted. She’d have to wait until after work, which was probably for the best. She’d have time to collect her thoughts and figure out how to apologize for something so extraordinarily awful. How do you apologize for something you never thought yourself capable of? Yes, extra time to think and plan was a good thing. A young man who Stephanie recognized as a former intern walked past her door and shot her an evil look.
Stephanie just hoped she’d survive the workday. She could practically smell the torches burning and see the pitchforks in the distance.
Chapter Fifteen
Luca turned off the TV after cycling through the channel guide for the hundredth time. Not one good show or movie was on, no worthwhile program was on her list to stream, and she didn’t care to talk to anyone from the outside world. Luca had already ignored one call from her brother and four from Alice. Andrew had called multiple times and Charles even sent a message asking if Ms. Austin would be interested in taking him on. The only call Luca answered was from Catherine, and she was flattered when she was offered a job. But being a financial advisor was never part of her plan because forensic accounting was in her heart. Even if Stephanie had stained Luca’s dream career with a bitter aftertaste. She threw the remote on her cluttered ottoman and went to the kitchen for a snack. She barely lifted her feet as she walked, allowing herself to glide along on her white socks. She had worn the same old flannel pajama set for two days, even putting it back on after showering because she could count on its comforts. Luca had always reasoned that as long as you didn’t sweat or have sex while wearing them, pajamas never really got dirty anyway.
She groaned in dismay when she opened her empty fridge. A carton of orange juice sat beside a bottle of ketchup and a package of bologna. Hardly anything worth getting up for. Luca’s stomach growled in complaint, desperate for something more than the handfuls of dry cereal she had choked down that morning. She considered delivery, but when her stomach growled again, Luca knew what was needed.
“Taco Bell,” she said to herself as she grabbed her keys and made her way out. She was shocked to find Stephanie standing on the other side of the door, phone in hand, looking like a deer in headlights. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Not long. I was just about to call you.” Luca looked Stephanie up and down, noting the creases in her shirt and pants, and the way
her hair was pulled back without care. She must’ve just come from the office. “Twenty minutes.”
“What?”
“I’ve been standing here for twenty minutes trying to decide if I should call, text, or just knock. I decided that calling would be my safest bet.”
Luca crossed her arms over her chest, painfully aware of her unkempt state. “What are you even doing here?”
“I want to talk to you about a few things. Can we go inside?” Stephanie asked. Luca hesitated. “This is more of a professional visit than anything else, I promise.”
Luca stepped aside and let Stephanie in. At least her nerves made her hunger go away, saving her a trip. “My place is a bit of a wreck right now, so excuse the mess.” Luca watched as Stephanie floated about her apartment, looking at anything and everything her eyes could fall on. By the time Stephanie had made it to her bookcase, Luca cleared her throat to get her attention. “You’re not talking.”
“Sorry. There’s so much more in your place than mine. It’s very distracting.”
“Yeah, well, we are very different people.” Luca plopped down on her worn sectional sofa.
“Are we?” Stephanie sat on the sofa, too, but at the farthest point from Luca. She looked at Luca intensely, in the kind of way Luca always felt beneath her skin.
“You came here for a professional discussion.” Luca needed to remind Stephanie, because she was not willing to welcome anything else.
“I’d like to offer you a position with LGR.”
Luca laughed outright. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Luca despised playing games, and career tug-of-war was topping the most hated list right now.
“I’m very serious. You can be placed with another senior accountant if you’d like, but I came here specifically for you to be on my team of investigators set to work on the money laundering scheme you uncovered. This is essentially your case, Luca, no one else should be working on it.”
Luca saw the earnest look in Stephanie’s eyes and believed every word, but that didn’t change the past. “How am I supposed to work with you now? I’d be second-guessing my every move and wondering if you’ll have me cut from the team without warning.”
“I mistreated you before. I handled everything so poorly from day one up until the moment I realized how vital you’d be to LGR. What I did was wrong and completely out of line. You have my word that I won’t do anything like that again.” Stephanie sat prim and proper, her back pin straight and her hands folded neatly on her lap. Her face remained stoic. She reminded Luca of the Stephanie she’d met on her first day.
“What do you think your word means to me now?”
“I spoke to Gerard Witlin directly about your worth to his company. I made it very clear that we will not remain at the top of our game if he didn’t agree to hire you back. Mr. Witlin trusts my word, and I think you should, too.”
“Mr. Witlin and I are not the same, especially not in this situation.”
“You’ll be able to see more clearly if you separate personal from professional,” Stephanie said matter-of-factly, like Luca’s feelings were just another bit of business for her.
The small piece of advice cut the cord of Luca’s emotional control. “I can’t do that.” She popped up from the couch to stand and pace. “I’m not like you, Stephanie. I think, feel, and act with my heart.” She pounded the center of her chest with her fist. “I’m not calculated and cold. I can’t sit and talk business with someone when I can still feel them against my skin, when I still ache because of them.” Stephanie’s head dropped. “I can’t turn off my feelings just because I have to go back to work.”
Stephanie sniffled. “I can’t either,” she said quietly, barely above a whisper. Luca stumbled back a step in disbelief. “I’m not calculated and cold. I’m professional and guarded. I think things through before I act, and I keep the people I work with at arm’s length because I’ve had to.” Stephanie looked up at Luca with watery eyes. “I’ve worked with horrible people in the past. Men who’ve harassed me, women who took advantage of me, and so many more who acted like I was invisible.”
“Steph—”
“I am the way I am today for many reasons, and I thought you’d find them all out as we got to know one another. It’s not because I’m heartless or that I like being a bitch, it’s because my heart has no place in my professional life.” Stephanie wiped her face and moved to stand before Luca. “I’ve done nothing but think, feel, and act with my heart since you managed to get through to it. Yes, I fucked up early on and I’m very sorry, but that doesn’t change the fact that we make a great team—in and out of the office. I forgot about the email I sent to Mr. Witlin because I sent it the night you approached me in the bar. I wanted you gone then because I was drunk and I knew you were dangerous.”
Luca laughed loudly and then covered her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled between her fingers. “No one has ever called me dangerous before.”
“You were to me, because I knew that if I let you in, I’d be a goner.”
Luca reached out and wiped away a tear from Stephanie’s cheek. “And how do you feel now?” Luca stepped closer, closing the distance between their bodies.
“Oh, I’m definitely a goner.” Stephanie laughed. “I threatened to quit LGR if he didn’t hire you back.” Luca’s mouth fell open. “I really do care and I missed you so much.” Her chin started to quiver again. Luca pulled her into a hug and buried her face into the crook of Stephanie’s neck. She could feel her own tears start to rise. “It was only two days, but they were the loneliest two day for me.”
Luca kissed Stephanie’s neck and then her ear. She kissed her wet eyelids and the tip of her nose. “I was so mad at you.” Stephanie tried to pull away, but Luca held her chin and didn’t allow her to escape. “But I still missed you and your stubbornness. I really, really like you, Stephanie Austin.”
“I really, really like you, too. And I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done.”
Luca saw nothing but sincerity in Stephanie’s eyes. She licked her lips in preparation for the kiss she had been craving since their last goodbye, but she stopped herself short. “Can you promise me something?”
“Anything.” Stephanie’s eyes were already closed and her full lips were pouty.
“If you find that at some point you’ve stopped liking me, do you promise not to have me moved halfway across the country?” Luca asked. Stephanie slapped at her shoulder lightly.
“You’re being mean. That’s not funny—” Luca cut off Stephanie with a kiss.
Their lips melded together perfectly, just like they had during their first kiss, and just as they would for many kisses after that. Luca felt along Stephanie’s arms and shoulders, reveling in the solid presence of the woman who had made her way into Luca’s heart without warning. She weaved her fingers into Stephanie’s hair and held her close as she deepened the kiss. Stephanie’s hands gripped Luca’s waist with an exquisite intensity. They worked together so well, even in intimacy. Luca’s partnership with Stephanie was sure to surprise her every day, both inside and outside the office.
One Year Later
Stephanie never wanted the music to stop. “I haven’t danced this much in years,” she shouted to Luca, who was dancing along with wild abandon. Stephanie twirled once more before shuffling toward Luca on the dance floor. A crowd had formed in the center of the floor, all shaking and bopping around the newlyweds. Stephanie practically jumped from excitement when Luca had received an invitation to Catherine and Imogene’s wedding, and even more so when she read the small note inside stating how honored Catherine would be to have both Luca and Stephanie as witnesses on her special day. Stephanie had never been a big fan of weddings, but this celebration felt nothing like any wedding she had ever been to.
“Are you having fun?” Imogene asked from over Stephanie’s shoulder. She was swinging from Catherine’s arms, her long red hair flowing about.
Stephanie’s broad smile matched Luca’s grin. “I’m
having a blast. You really know how to throw a party.”
“Try telling that to Cat. She thinks I went overboard.”
Stephanie looked around the rustic winery and took in the colorful displays of flowers and romantic paper lanterns that hung everywhere. Once upon a time, she would’ve thought the decorations to be a bit flamboyant, but now she saw things with her heart before her mind could pass judgment. “The space is lovely and you’re both gorgeous.” Imogene smiled radiantly and pulled herself into Catherine more tightly.
“Not as gorgeous as you,” Luca whispered into Stephanie’s ear.
“No one is supposed to be more beautiful than the brides on their wedding day,” Stephanie chastised. She wrapped her arms around Luca’s neck and pressed their hips together. “Except you. You’re the most breathtaking woman in the world.”
Luca chuckled. “You’re a smooth talker, Ms. Austin. Are you looking to get lucky tonight?”
“I wouldn’t hate it if we snuck out a little early.” Stephanie brought her hands to rest on Luca’s chest, left bare by the neckline of her black dress. She scratched her skin lightly with her short nails. Luca’s breath hitched. “This wedding is making me think about how much I love you and this dress.” She slid her index finger beneath a thin strap and toyed with it. “I’d love nothing more than to be able to show you what I’m thinking.”
“Want to know what I’m thinking?” Luca’s eyes were intense and Stephanie felt her heartbeat jump.
“I’m going to slow it down for a minute.” The DJ interrupted the moment. Stephanie let out a disappointed groan. “But I want all the couples to stay on the floor.” The singles and bashful couples scattered. Stephanie remained in Luca’s arms. “I’m going to play one of the brides’ favorite slow songs, and as it plays, I’ll ask couples who’ve been together, either married or dating, for a certain amount of time to leave the floor. Eventually, we’ll be left with the couple who’s been together the longest, and if they don’t deserve a round of applause, none of us do.” The crowd cheered.